The 12-year-old was killed Monday morning when she was involved in a massive pile-up crash on Interstate 275 in Colerain Township.

Sheriff's deputies said the girl had been in a vehicle involved in the crash and got out to stand next to the cable median barrier.

Another vehicle struck the barrier, deputies said, and the cable buckled but did not break, striking the girl, who was pronounced dead about an hour later at Mercy Fairfield Hospital.

"Everybody describes her as always smiling, always had a smile on her face, as vivacious," said Valerie Browning, superintendent of Kings Schools. "She was just somebody that everybody seemed to like."

Sammy was a sixth grader at Columbia Elementary School, which she attended with her twin brother, Jack, and younger brother, Brian.

"One of our counselors suggested that we do a chain and every child take a paper strip and write something that they knew about Sammy or they remember about her," Browning said.

Counselors wanted the students to focus on the joy Sammy brought into the world instead of the accident that took her life.

"She is the kindest, sweetest little girl anybody could ever know," said family friend Missy Schowalter. "She has 4-year-old friends and she has 19-year-old friends, and they all call her their best friend."

Sammy had been riding with a babysitter to Perfect North Slopes when they wrecked, school officials said. Schools were closed due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.

Her mother was in another car following behind when snow showers caused whiteout conditions, which then led to the pileup that involved at least 86 cars.

At least 20 people were hospitalized following the crash, but deputies said they all were expected to recover.

A separate crash Monday on Interstate 75 in Turtlecreek Township involved 52 vehicles and sent 10 people to hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.